The atomic bomb revolutionized modern
warfare not by enabling the mass slaughter of civilians but by vastly
increasing its efficiency—the ease with which densely populated cities could be
annihilated. Many of the crucial details are top secret, and the mundane terms
used in official discussions tend to hide the apocalyptic consequences at
stake.

A new nuclear arms race has begun to
match each other’s overkill capacity. The new nuclear arms race does not
center’s on the number of weapons but it depends on the qualitative refinement
of nuclear capabilities and their increasing deadlines.

Recent nuclear missile tests by India
show that India is blatantly flaunting its nuclear power vertically, posturing
as tough and responsible “protectors” while in reality it puts the world at
large risk. This attitude from Indian side of continuous arming herself up is
alarming for the region to a greater extent.

When we shuffle the pages of history, it
appears that India – a champion of nuclear disarmament during much of the Cold
War – reversed its position in the 1990s. With the passage of time their double
standards have led them built their nuclear arsenal at a faster pace. Former
Indian governments’ position was – that nuclear weapons are unacceptable
weapons of mass destruction designed to slaughter civilians – no longer holds
sway in New Delhi.

Perhaps equally distressing is the
behavior of the international community that up till now failed to loudly
condemn India for their continuous missile and nuclear development program.After
critically analyzing the current and past events one can come to know that the
world powers and so called pundits of nuclear disarmament failed to criticize
the actions of India to a greater extent. In contraststates have
responded with deafening silence or worse: a renewed focus on rearmament. These
moves by India creates incentives – or perhaps a pretext – for other states to
develop similar arms.

India even after acquiring nuclear
weapons is yet not internationally recognized as a nuclear-weapons state under
the terms of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). India detonated its first
plutonium device, which it called a “peaceful nuclear explosive” in 1974. Again
in 1998, it tested its first nuclear weapons under the ambit of peaceful
nuclear explosion. Since India conducted its tests in 1998, India has undergone
impressive developments for both its nuclear program and missile arsenal.

It is necessary to expose these myths
and highlight the existing realities. India sees its nuclear weapons capacity
to be an integral part of its vision as a great power, and its nuclear program
is important for both its prestige and security doctrine. Currently, India is
increasingly developing
its nuclear capabilities that could potentially support the development of
thermonuclear weapons, raising the stakes in an arms race with China and
Pakistan. These revelations highlights that India is expanding its
weapons and enriching uranium in
addition to plutonium. India’s nuclear deal with the United States (US) and the
granting of a waiver for importing nuclear materials (which must be for
non-military purposes) allows it to use more of its indigenously produced
nuclear material for weapons. India is has also heavily invested in research on
using thorium in reactors (or even potentially weapons), which will free up its
other nuclear material for weapons. India hopes to soon operate
thorium reactors.

Meanwhile, the US Foreign Policy
magazine in 2012 reported that India had built two top-secret facilities at
Challakere, Karnataka. These sites would be the South Asia’s largest
military-run complex of nuclear centrifuges, atomic-research laboratories and
weapons and aircraft-testing facilities. The research further stated that
further says that another of the project’s aim is “to give India an extra
stockpile of enriched uranium fuel that could be used in new hydrogen bombs,
also known as thermonuclear weapons, substantially increasing the explosive
force of those in its existing nuclear arsenal. Despite these activities, the
US and its Western allies are busy selling nuclear reactors and material to
India for commercial gains and advocating its entry into the Nuclear Suppliers
Group.

None of the South Asian states believe
the common story of India’s nuclear program—that India developed nuclear
weapons in response to China’s or Pakistan’s nuclear program. Nuclear test of
India was an extension of India’s aspiration to become a great power. It is
beyond doubt that as long as the international community focuses its efforts on
“irresponsible” nuclear behavior, such as proliferation and nuclear testing,
global nuclear disarmament will remain difficult to achieve.